EP0540411A1 - Interface for connecting a television monitor with a local area home network - Google Patents

Abstract

The interface is configured in order to couple a television receiver monitor (9) with computer peripheral socket (13) to bidirectional communication pathways (8) of a local area home network, which pathways are associated with transmission pathways (11) for audiovisual programmes of the network, within an HF frequency range left available by the transmission of the audiovisual programmes. The interface therefore makes it possible to integrate functionally a television receiver and a local area home network. <IMAGE>

Description

A local home or home automation network (RLD) consists of a network of television and radio channels and bidirectional communication channels, generally digital, branched from a head station for receiving television and radio programs, on the one hand, and a management terminal, or supervisor or manager, on the other hand, towards user or home automation terminals, each connected to the channel network by an HF socket, associated with a radio socket and a TV channel TV socket to which a television receiver or television set can be connected directly or through the terminal.

The links between the manager and the user terminals are made in two directions at two different frequencies, respectively, and they are established through a frequency transposer, generally associated with the head station, and through modems associated with the manager and the user terminals, respectively.

Each user terminal comprises, in addition to its modem, an interface box for connection to a possible plurality of devices and equipment of the user, such as sensors and actuators and other household or office appliances.

Document FR-A-2656188 proposes such a local, wired local network with two transmission channels for exchanges between the manager and the terminals, one, the downlink, from the manager to the terminals, in the band 50- 80 MHz, the other, the uplink, or return from terminals to the manager, in the 10-30 MHz band. In this case, the modems operate, on transmission, in the band of the return channel and, on reception, in the band of the downlink.

Television receivers, which can therefore be connected either to a TV socket on the RLD network, or to a conventional individual or collective antenna socket, operate completely independently of user terminals, even if they are connected through these terminals.

A television receiver has a display screen, called a monitor. In the case of a modern receiver, we can isolate the monitor from the rest of the device and send it data directly to display via a peri-computer socket called "scart".

The idea of the applicant, which is at the origin of the invention of the present application, is to functionally integrate user televisions in an RLD network, to be able to connect them to the two-way communication channels associated with the communication channels. television and radio and therefore to enhance this network of channels by transforming it into a network of interactive service channels and, finally, to offer an interactive home automation terminal with television screen adapted to human-machine dialogue.

To this end, the present invention relates to a connection interface for a television monitor, characterized in that it is designed to couple a television receiver monitor with peri-computer socket to bidirectional communication channels of a home local network, associated with transmission channels for audiovisual programs in the network, in a range of HF frequencies left available by the transmission of audiovisual programs.

Admittedly, we already knew monitors, integrated into interactive videotex terminals, in this case from the trademark Minitel, intended to be coupled to bidirectional communication channels, but of a telephone network and absolutely not of a network of television and radio. And it is precisely in this transposition from a telephone network to an audiovisual program distribution network that all the inventive activity of the invention of the present application resides.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the interface is arranged to be coupled to channels, on which communications take place, in one direction, in the frequency band 10-30 MHz, and, in the other direction, in the frequency band 50-80 MHz.

The interface of the invention is designed to be coupled to the network channels by a modem which can be integrated into the interface.

Likewise, the interface can be integrated into the associated television receiver.

• la figure 1 est un schéma du réseau ;
• la figure 2 est un schéma d'un terminal d'usager du réseau ;
• la figure 3 est une représentation schématique de l'architecture structurelle de l'interface et
• la figure 4 est une illustration de l'architecture du logiciel de l'interface.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of the interface of the invention and of a local home network in which it is integrated, with reference to the appended drawing, in which:

• Figure 1 is a diagram of the network;
• Figure 2 is a diagram of a network user terminal;
• FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the structural architecture of the interface and
• Figure 4 is an illustration of the software architecture of the interface.

The interface which will now be described is intended to connect a television receiver, or television set, and more precisely its monitor part, to a local home network, in this case wired, of channels for transmitting television and radio programs. and associated communication channels, here digital - network of the type which is perfectly described in the document FR-A-2656188 and which it is therefore unnecessary to describe again here. The reader of this request is only referred to this document and asked to consider it as an integral part of this document.

Overall, it will still be recalled, with reference to FIG. 1, that the network is branched, from a head station 1, receiving television programs and, in general, audiovisual, and a resource manager 2, towards a plurality home automation terminals 3 associated with televisions with a peri-computer socket, a frequency transposer 4 is topographically associated with the head station 1 and that each terminal 3 and the manager 2 is functionally associated with a modem 5, a plurality of bidirectional amplifiers 6 being inserted into the network. Modems 5 and transposer 4 are set here so that modems transmit on the frequency 29 MHz, in the band 10-30 MHz, and receive on the frequency 70 MHz, from the band 50-80 MHz. The collective antennas 7 of the head station 1 are arranged to receive conventional emissions, in the band 88-860 MHz, and satellite emissions, in the intermediate satellite band 950-1 750 MHz, the band 88-108 MHz being able to be reserved for receiving FM radio programs.

A little more precisely, and with reference to FIG. 2, the modems 5 are connected to the digital communication channels 8 and, each television set 9, by its ordinary TV socket 10, to the transmission channels for audiovisual programs 11, channels 8 and 11 to which is also transposed 4 the head station 1.

The interface 12 is connected to the associated television 9 by its peri-computer socket 13. The interface 12 can also be connected, by a bus 14, to the telephone network, possibly via a videotex terminal, and, by another bus 15, domestic or home automation, with sensors and actuators such as a temperature probe, an alarm detector, a heating control, etc.

The purpose of the interface 12 is to enter information from the communication channels 8, to process it and, possibly, to display it on the television monitor 9. The dialogue between the user and the manager 2 takes place here using a transmitter box 16 for remote control of the interface, by infrared signals, whereby a plurality of tree menus can be displayed on the screen. Box 16 is a classic box provided in particular with a keyboard of keys and infrared diodes. Of course, the interface remote control and the television remote control are compatible, that is to say that they do not interact.

The structural architecture of the interface 12, with reference to FIG. 3, is built around an internal bus 17 to which are connected, by means of other secondary buses, a processing module 18, a storage module 19, a communication module 20 and a dialogue module 21.

The processing module 18 consists of a microprocessor, here of 16/32 bits, to which are connected a clock 24 and a reset switch 25, and processes the information coming from the communication channels 8 and, using a graphics processor 22 connected to the television 9 by its peri-computer socket 13, displays them on the television screen. It will be noted here that it is thus possible to superimpose this information on the television images appearing on the screen and coming from the audiovisual channels 11.

The graphics processor 22 is here associated with a RAM memory 23.

The storage module 19, comprising RAM memories, PROM memories and EEPROM memories, the latter for the storage of software, also makes it possible to store the information coming from the communication channels 8.

The communication module 20, functionally separate from the modem 5, ensures communications with the outside, that is to say with the network 8, by the modem 5, and with an I²C bus 26, by an adaptation block integrated 27. The connection with the modem 5 is carried out by a UART transceiver 28 and a serial link 29.

The I²C system, now well known to those skilled in the art, consists of components linked together by particular data and clock buses and between which the exchanges are carried out according to a protocol which is also particular, the particularities of these buses and of this protocol being those which are clearly defined in document EP-AO 051 332. The I²C system was invented and developed by NV Philips'Gloeilampenfabrieken and taking into account the description given in this document, the reader of this request will be referred here and there purely and simply.

In this case, an hour meter 30, associated with a RAM memory 31, is connected to the I²C bus 26 by the adapter block 27 to permanently have the time and date.

It is also through the communication module 20 that the protocol of the domestic bus 15 is managed and that the control bus of the television 9 could also be managed - a D₂ or I²C bus - so as to have to use only one box for remote control and interface and TV.

The dialogue module 21 makes it possible to manage the infrared remote control by transmitting to the processing processor 18 the orders transmitted by the box 16. To this end, the dialogue module 21 comprises a receiver 32, associated with the transmitter of the box 16, and a register 33 connected to the internal bus 17.

The software of the interface 12, stored in the EEPROM memory of the module 19, and with reference to FIG. 4, is structured in three layers C₁, C₂, C₃.

.S₁ :

initialisation et modifications des paramètres de configuration des éléments périphériques de l'interface (bus I²C, liaison série 29 entre l'UART 28 et le modem 5, ...) ;

.S₂ :

traitement des interruptions liées aux événements extérieurs, tels que l'actionnement d'une touche du coffret de télécommande 16, la réception d'un caractère sur la liaison série 29, ...) ;

.S₃ :

gestion dynamique du module de mémorisation 19 ;

.S₄ :

gestion des fichiers programmés et stockés dans le module de mémorisation 19 ;

.S₅ :

gestion en temps réel des informations du réseau.

The first layer C₁ relates to home automation operation; it is called "operating system home automation "(SED). It consists of a series of software routines ensuring the following functions:

.S₁:

initialization and modifications of the configuration parameters of the peripheral elements of the interface (I²C bus, serial link 29 between the UART 28 and the modem 5, ...);

.S₂:

processing of interruptions linked to external events, such as the actuation of a key on the remote control unit 16, the reception of a character on the serial link 29, etc.);

.S₃:

dynamic management of the storage module 19;

.S₄:

management of the files programmed and stored in the storage module 19;

.S₅:

network information management in real time.

The home automation operating system is therefore a multitasking system. This is why it includes a program Po for scheduling the tasks to be executed, a table of these tasks and therefore also a queue for arranging the tasks to be executed by priority level.

The second layer C₂ relates to home automation video language (LVD). Its function is to allow graphics G on the television screen. It is this layer which gives the interface its interactive character and which ensures its ergonomics. It is thanks to it that the interactivity between the orders given by the user and transmitted by the remote control unit and the display on the television screen is ensured.

The layer C₂ includes graphic primitives P _G making it possible to create a base B of icons or other graphic symbols such as a cursor that the user can move on the screen by actuating the direction keys of the box 16.

The layer C₂ also includes routines R for multi-window management of the screen.

The third layer C₃ contains the application software L _A produced from the other two layers C₁, C₂.

The applications of the interface which has just been described are varied. As an example, the hotel application will be briefly described.

A computer server is installed at the hotel reception; each room is provided with a television and an interface of the invention to which are connected, by a domestic bus, a temperature sensor, an electrical relay, an HF switch and a detector of the occupant's presence. bedroom. The following services can thus be rendered: messaging, temperature regulation with display of a deposit, room monitoring (alarm, fire), room catering service, tourist service, alarm clock, pay television (Pay TV), etc. .. Each service offered has an icon. The infrared remote control allows dialogue between the interface and the server using tree-like computer menus that can be displayed on the screen and keys on the remote control. As keys, we can provide a cursor movement key to choose a computer menu, a SEND key, to validate a choice or a requested service, a INFO key, to display information on the use of the terminal on the screen, a MENU key, for configuring the terminal and entering a password, ten keys numbered 0 to 9, for programming the room temperature.

More particularly still, after commissioning of the interface and of the television, the terminal makes it possible to be informed of the reception of a message, by a blinking icon on the screen, to request the display on the screen of the message, by a key on the remote control unit, and finally to read the message on the screen.

Claims (9)

Interface for connecting a television monitor, characterized in that it is designed to couple a television receiver monitor (9) with a peri-computer socket (13) to bidirectional communication channels (8) of a home local network, associated with audiovisual program transmission channels (11) of the network, in a range of HF frequencies left available by the transmission of audiovisual programs. Connection interface according to claim 1, designed to be coupled to channels (8), on which communications take place, in one direction, in the frequency band 10-30 MHz, and, in the other direction, in the frequency band 50-80 MHz. Connection interface according to either of Claims 1 and 2, designed to be coupled to the bidirectional communication channels (8) by an integrated modem (5). Connection interface according to one of claims 1 to 3, integrated into the associated television receiver (9). Connection interface according to one of claims 1 to 4, comprising an internal bus (17) to which are connected a microprocessor processing module (18), a storage module (19), a communication module (20), a dialogue module (21) and a graphics processor (22). Connection interface according to claim 5, in which the communication module (20) comprises a block (27) for adaptation to an I²C bus and a UART transceiver (28) and a serial link (29) for connection to a modem (5). Connection interface according to one of claims 1 to 6, arranged to manage a control bus of the television receiver (9). Connection interface according to one of Claims 1 to 7, comprising an infrared remote control receiver (32). Connection interface according to one of claims 1 to 8, comprising three software layers, a multitasking home automation operation layer (C₁), a home automation video language layer (C₂) and an application layer (C₃).

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